Fiber Optic Cable Preparation to Ensure Stable Operation Ensure - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Fiber Optic Cable Preparation to Ensure Stable Operation Ensure Stable Operation Richard F. Chuska, William J. Thomes Jr., Melanie N. Ott, Frank V. LaRocca, Robert C. Switzer, Shawn L. Macmurphy SPIE Optics + Photonics 2008

Overview • How to properly precondition a fiber optic cable • Performance of different types of fiber optic cables that are properly prepared • What happens when you do not properly precondition the fiber optic cable

Fiber Optic Cables • TEQS Powerflex hard-polymer coated – 365/400/425 (TEQS)/730 (TEFZEL buffer) – Manufactured by InnovaQuartz • Flexlite – 400/440 Step Index Fiber – 400/440 Step Index Fiber – E-PTFE buffer, Kevlar aramid braid, fluoropolymer jacket – Manufacture by W. L. Gore • International Space Station Fiber – 100/140 Graded Index Carbon Coated – Fiberglass with Teflon coating, polymer jacket – Manufactured by Brand-Rex Company

Fiber Optic Cables • SMF with 1.8 mm PEEK – 9/125/250 SM fiber – Expanded PTFE, PEEK tube, aramid strength members, outer polymer jacket – Manufactured by W. L. Gore • MTP cable • MTP cable – Mylar lamination, E-PTFE wrap, Kevlar strength member, outer polymer jacket – Manufactured by W. L. Gore • Strong Tether Fiber Optic Cable (STFOC) – 9/125 SM fiber with acrylate coating – Proprietary secondary buffer – Manufactured by Linden Photonics

Cable Terminations • FC connectors – 2.5 mm ferrule • Ceramic outside • Metal insert – Keyed to adapter • Cable connected to back of connector – Metal crimp sleeve – Cable strength members (Kevlar) crimped

Thermal Preconditioning • Cable lengths: 1, 3, and 6 meters Temperature Profile for Preconditioning 140.00 120.00 • Thermal Profile 100.00 ature (°C) 80.00 – -30°C to 130°C – -30°C to 130°C Temperatur 60.00 60.00 40.00 – 2°C/min 20.00 0.00 – 1 hour dwell at extremes -20.00 -40.00 0.00 500.00 1000.00 1500.00 2000.00 2500.00 3000.00 Elapsed Time (min) • Cables were removed from thermal chamber and measured periodically during preconditioning study

Thermal Preconditioning 3.00% gth compared to Initial Length (%) Flexlite 1413 (6 m) 2.50% Flexlite 1413 (3 m) Flexlite 1413 (1 m) SMF28 PEEK (6 m) 2.00% SMF28 PEEK (3 m) SMF28 PEEK (1 m) ISS Cable (6 m) 1.50% ISS Cable (3 m) Change in Cable Length ISS Cable (1 m) W.L. Gore 1997 MT (6 m) 1.00% W.L. Gore 1997 MT (3 m) W.L. Gore 1997 MT (1 m) TEQS 365/400 (6 m) 0.50% TEQS 365/400 (3 m) TEQS 365/400 (1 m) STFOC SMF28 (6 m) 0.00% 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Number of Thermal Cycles Thermal precondition until cable length stabilizes Shorter cables show a greater percentage change in cable length

Thermal Preconditioning 12 Flexlite 1413 (6 m) 10 Flexlite 1413 (3 m) Flexlite 1413 (1 m) Change in Length (cm) SMF28 PEEK (6 m) 8 SMF28 PEEK (3 m) SMF28 PEEK (1 m) ISS Cable (6 m) 6 ISS Cable (3 m) Overall Cha ISS Cable (1 m) ISS Cable (1 m) W.L. Gore 1997 MT (6 m) 4 W.L. Gore 1997 MT (3 m) W.L. Gore 1997 MT (1 m) TEQS 365/400 (6 m) 2 TEQS 365/400 (3 m) TEQS 365/400 (1 m) STFOC SMF28 (6 m) 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Thermal Cycles Cable termination stability is determined by length change at connector Longer cable show an overall greater change in length

Thermal Preconditioning • Fibers must be cut to length before they are preconditioned • Cables must be subjected to thermal cycling until shrinkage has stabilized Cable Shrinkage during Preconditioning Flexlite cable MTP cable ISS cable

Fiber Cable Performance Thermal Chamber Fiber Splitter Optical Sources 850 nm 1310 nm Source Source 1550 nm 1550 nm Monitor Multi-channel Detector Thermal Monitor

Fiber Cable Performance 0.25 130 120 0.20 110 100 0.15 lized Insertion Loss (dB/m) 90 80 0.10 70 60 Flexlite (1m) 850 nm mperature (°C) 0.05 50 Flexlite (3m) 850 nm 0.00 40 Flexlite (6m) 850 nm Length Normalized Tempe 30 30 TEQS (1m) 850 nm TEQS (1m) 850 nm -0.05 20 TEQS (3m) 850 nm 10 TEQS (6m) 850 nm -0.10 0 Temperature -10 -0.15 -20 -30 -0.20 -40 -0.25 -50 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 Elapsed Time (min) -50°C to 125°C, 2°C/min, 60 min dwell at extremes

Fiber Cable Performance 0.25 130 120 0.20 110 100 0.15 ized Insertion Loss (dB/m) 90 80 0.10 70 SMF28 PEEK (1m) 1550 nm 60 perature (°C) 0.05 SMF28 PEEK (6m) 1550 nm 50 SMF28 PEEK (3m) 1550 nm 0.00 40 Temper Length Normalized STFOC SMF28 (6m) 1550 nm STFOC SMF28 (6m) 1550 nm 30 30 -0.05 ISS (1m) 850 nm 20 ISS (3m) 850 nm 10 -0.10 0 ISS (6m) 850 nm -10 Temperature -0.15 -20 -30 -0.20 -40 -0.25 -50 0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 Elapsed Time (min) -50°C to 125°C, 2°C/min, 60 min dwell at extremes

Fiber Cable Performance 0.25 140 120 0.20 100 zed Insertion Loss (dB/m) 0.15 80 0.10 Flexlite (1m) 850 nm perature (°C) 60 Flexlite (3m) 850 nm 0.05 40 Flexlite (6m) 850 nm Tempera Length Normalized I Flexlite (1m) 1310 nm 20 0.00 Flexlite (3m) 1310 nm Flexlite (6m) 1310 nm 0 -0.05 Temperature -20 -0.10 -40 -0.15 -60 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 Elapsed Time (min) Insertion Loss change is slightly wavelength dependent

Preconditioned versus Non-Preconditioned 2.50 140 120 2.00 100 80 1.50 n Loss (dB) rature (°C) 60 ISS 1m Preconditioned Insertion Lo ISS 3m Preconditioned ISS 3m Preconditioned Temperatu 1.00 1.00 40 40 ISS 6m Preconditioned 20 ISS 1m Nonpreconditioned ISS 3m Nonpreconditioned 0.50 0 Temperature -20 0.00 -40 Test conducted -0.50 -60 at 850 nm 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 Elapsed Time (min) -50°C to 125°C, 2°C/min, 60 min dwell at extremes

Preconditioned versus Non-Preconditioned 35.00 140 120 30.00 100 25.00 80 20.00 n Loss (dB) rature (°C) 60 SMF PEEK 1m Preconditioned Insertion Lo SMF PEEK 3m Preconditioned SMF PEEK 3m Preconditioned Temperatu 15.00 15.00 40 40 SMF PEEK 6m Preconditioned 20 SMF PEEK 1m Nonpreconditioned 10.00 SMF PEEK 3m Nonpreconditioned 0 Temperature 5.00 -20 0.00 -40 Test conducted -5.00 -60 at 1550 nm 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 Elapsed Time (min) -50°C to 125°C, 2°C/min, 60 min dwell at extremes

Summary • Most fiber optic cables will shrink • Fiber cables must be cut to length before preconditioning • Thermal cycling is required to properly precondition the fiber cable the fiber cable • Temperatures will depend upon mission • Number of cycles will depend upon cable • This step early in the manufacturing process can mean the difference between mission success and failure

Problems to Avoid YOU DON’T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO HAPPEN TO YOU Fiber optic cable

Acknowledgements Funding for this study provided by: NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program http://nepp.nasa.gov For additional information please see our website http://misspiggy.gsfc.nasa.gov/photonics